Good News, Bad News of the Day

The Good News

Putting New Laws to Good Use
Some good news/bad news: The bad news is that Elizabeth Rowe, a star flutist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has filed a gender discrimination suit for the pay disparity between her and her male colleagues. The good news is that she’s filing the suit under Massachusetts’ brand new “equal pay for comparable work” law, which just went into effect this month. It’s the first lawsuit under the new legislation. Read On…

Free Fertility Treatments Across the Pond
Another good news/bad news situation: The good news is that Spain will offer single women free fertility treatments, a policy it stopped in 2014. The bad news is that the reason that the government is allowing the policy is because of the country’s dire birth rates, which have been generally plummeting since the 1990s. Social scientists, economists, and political experts alike, however, say that other issues need to be tackled if there’s going to be a resurgence of the nation’s birth rate, including affordable childcare and a better financial situation. Read On…DID YOU KNOW: In light of the terrible family separations happening at the border, a new study shows that early childhood trauma can affect not just those children into adulthood but the generations of people around them.

The Bad News

America Says No to…Breastfeeding?
Today in UGGHHHHH: U.S. delegates opposed a United Nations resolution supporting breastfeeding, which critics say is a move to align them with formula manufacturers. The delegates even threatened trade stipulations on Ecuador, the country that introduced the resolution. Read On…

The Stereotypes Persist
A growing number of heterosexual women have become breadwinners in their families over the past several decades, but gender stereotypes about who should pay the bills and have ultimate control over the money still persist. Moreover, women who are breadwinners in their families tend to downplay their status, which often leads to even more resentment. Read On…